Car-coupling



(No Model.)

'B; M. WHITLOOK.

OAR- COUPLING.

Patente' Apr.'3, 1894.

' Attorneys.

VVitnes'ses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN MORRIS WI-IITLOOK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THEINTERSTATE COUPLER COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,505, dated April 3,1894.

Application filed January 1 9 1894. Serial No. 497,388. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN MORRIS WHIT- LOOK, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inOar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to car couplings, and more particularly tocouplings of the J anney type.

The invention will first be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of this specification, and then pointed outin the claims.

Figure l of the drawings represents a plan of a car coupling embodyingmy invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional elevation; andFig. 3 a cross section of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail of the lockingblock; and Fig. 5 a front view of the knuckle showing its pivotalconnection with one side of the coupler-head.

Similar letters of reference denote similar parts.

A denotes the coupler-head having the.

usual shank A.

B'denotes the knuckle which may be of the angular form shown or anypreferred con struction. It is pivoted at its angle to the head A, atoneside of the latter so as to adapt its inner arm or tail-piece b, toswing into a recess at that side of the head.

As shown, the knuckle consists of an angular or elbow-shaped piece orcasting having an outer portion or arm I), and an inner portion ortail-piece b, arranged at an angle to each other, and pivoted to thecoupler-head by means of a suitable pivot pin B; the outer portion ofthe knuckle being bifurcated and perforated as shown to adapt it for usein coupling cars by means of an ordinary link and pin. When the innerarmor tail-piece of the knuckle is swung into the recess of thecoupler-head in coupling the cars together, it may be locked in suchposition, so as to control the position of the main or outer armthereof, by means of a locking block 0, adapt- 'shown in dotted lines inFig. 1.

coupler-head or shank for the purpose of looking or releasing theknuckle as may be desired. The block 0, is itself controlled and lockedin position to confine the knuckle in the recess by means of avertically sliding pin D, which is actuated by gravity (or a spring) inholding the block to its normal forward position. The pin D, is providedwith an angular portion d, adapted to work in an opening in or throughthe lock-block for the purpose of imparting the desired movement to saidblock when the pin is raised or lowered. This angular portion of the pinin the present instance is formed by cutting away a portion of the rearedge or side of the pin so as to form atriangular recess with aninclined wall d, and beveling the opposite side or edge of the pin so asto form an incline d at the front. This angular or ob lique portion (1,may pass into orthrough an opening 0, in the block 0; said opening beingpreferably formed with opposing inclined walls which impinge against theinclines d, d of the pin,and compel the block to move in a plane at anangle to the path of movement of the pin, (preferably at a right angle)so that the direction of motion of the block will. be across the path ofmovement or direction of motion of the pin, and the block will recede oradvance (according to the direction of motion of the pin) about the samedistance that the pin travels in rising or falling. The distancetraveled, however, may

vary as the inclination of the oblique portion of the pin is varied. Bythis means, when the pin D is raised the block will be thrown backwardand vice versa. When the inner arm I), of the knuckle is in the recessof the coupler-head and the block is in its normal position at thebottom of the recess in which it slides, said arm will be confined insaid recess, so as to control the position of the outer arm or mainportion 1). When it is desired to release the knuckle, the pin D may be\raised, thereby throwing the block backward out of the pathof theknuckle, so that the latter may swing around into the position When theknuckle is turned in the opposite direction its inner arm will engagethe forward, prefered to slide back and forth in a recess of the ablyinclined, edge of the block and slide the latter backward,simultaneously raising the pin, and when said arm has passed beyond theblock the pin will drop and advance the block into the path of theknuckle-arm and confine the latter within the recess of thecoupler-head. The knuckle B, has a plate or arm b extending in rear ofits pivot and overlying the outer end of the extension of thecoupler-head to which the knuckle is pivoted; said plate being adaptedto brace and strengthen the knuckle and at the same time afiord aconvenient means outside of the coupler-head for attaching a knuckleopening device. In the present instance such device consists of aflexible connection or chain E, having one end secured to the plate orextension b and the opposite end secured to a similar flexibleconnection or chain F; one end of the latter being secured to thelocking pin D, while its free end extends to a convenient point to bereached when it is de sired to raise the locking pin and open theknuckle. An upward pull upon the chain F, will first raise the pin,causing the block 0, to recede, and then open the knuckle.

The coupling thus described consists of few parts, and is simple inconstruction inexpensive in manufacture, and efficient and reliable inuse. Furthermore, the devices for raising the locking pin and openingthe knuckle are arranged outside of and above the coupler-head, and whenthe locking block is slid backward by the engagement therewith of theinner arm of the knuckle, in the act of coupling the cars, the pin willbe raised to a position to adapt it to automatically advance the blockand lock the knuckle the moment the latter has passed into the recessbeyond the block. The same result will also be accomplished when the pinis raised by hand, either for the purpose of coupling or uncoupling, theblock being positively controlled in both its forward and backwardmovements by the pin, and normally securely locked so as to preventaccidental disarrangement of the parts in use.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a car coupling,a coupler-head having a recess and an angularknuckle pivoted thereto so that one arm of the knuckle may swing intosaid recess, in combination with a sliding locking block and a lockingpin adapted to move across the path of movement of the sliding block,and provided with an oblique portion engaging an opening in said block,whereby the latter is moved when the pin is raised or lowered so as toeither unlock or look the coupling, according to the direction ofmotion, substantially as described.

2. In a car coupling, a coupler-head having a recess therein, an angularknuckle pivoted to said head so as to adapt one arm thereof to swinginto said recess, and a locking de- 1 vice consisting of a horizontallysliding block and a vertically sliding pin; the latter having an obliqueportion which passes through said block so as to cause the block to moveacross the path of movement of the pin when the latter is raised orlowered, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a car coupling, of the vertically movable pin andthe sliding locking block controlled by said pin, with the angularknuckle having an inner arm adapted to swing into a recess of thecoupler-head and an outer arm provided with a plate or extension in rearof the knuckle pivot outside of the coupler-head and overlying theextension of the latter to which the knuckleis pivoted, and a flexibledevice or chain connecting said plate and locking-pin, substantially asand for the purpose described.

at. In combination with the recessed couplerhead, the angular knucklehaving an arm adapted to swing into said recess, a horizontally slidingblock for locking said knuckle and a vertically sliding pin for lockingsaid block, arranged to travel across the path of movement of the block,so that when the pin is raised the block will recede and disengage theknuckle, said pin being adapted to fall by gravity and advance the blockso as to confine the knuckle-arm within the recess, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereofI alfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN MORRIS WI-IITLOGK.

Witnesses:

CHAS. J. WHITE, J. LAWRENCE ASPINWALL.

